Toe-clip attachment for bicycle-pedals



N0.'6|5,2l7. Patented Nov. 29, I898.

' W. A. HILL.

TOE CLIP ATTACHMENT FDR BICYCLE PEDALS.

(Applibation filed Sept. 17, 1897.)

(UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFORD A.-HII.L, OF l/VALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. C. MILLER, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOE-CLIP ATTACHMENT FOR BlCYCLE-PEDALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,217, dated November 29, 1898. Application filed September l7 1897. Serial No. 651,975. (No model.)

T0 (0 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILFORD A. HILL, of WValtham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toe-Clip Attachments for Bicycle-Pedals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a bicycle toe-clip adapted to normally tip or swing sidewise from its operative position and occupy suchposition on the pedal as that downward pressure of the riders foot will cause the clip to swing to its operative position, the clip automatically swinging sidewise out of the way of the riders toe when downward pressure of the foot is removed.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a top view of a bicycle-pedal provided with my improvement, the toe-clip being folded or turned down upon the pedal. resents an end View of the pedal, with the attachment in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a top view showing the toeclip extended and in its operative position. Fig. 4 represents an end view of the pedal, the toe-clip being adjusted as in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the guide and its holding-plates detached from the pedal, the guide being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 represents aview similar to Fig. 5, showing the guide in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of the sliding toe-clip.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the embodiment of my invention shown by me for purposes of illustration I have shown the toe-clip adapted not only to swing,

or tip sidewise, but also to slide longitudinally, and this embodiment of my invention will now be described.

In the drawings, a a represent the treadbars, and b the sleeve or bearing, of an ordinary rat-trap pedal, which may be of the usual or any suitable construction.

0 represents a guide, which is pivotally connected at its ends with the tread-bars a a, and extends across the bearing b, the length of Fig. 2 rep shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

the guide being preferably such that it extends from one tread-bar to the other. The guide is provided at its ends with ears 0 c, which are offset from the track and are pivotally connected with the tread-bars a, as hereinafter described, the arrangement of the pivots being such that the guide may occupy a position substantially flush with the upper edges of the tread-bars, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or may be tipped and stand at an angle to said upper edges, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The ears 0 may be pivoted directly to the bars aa, but for convenience I prefer to provide plates d cl, which are pivotally connected with the ears 0 c by means of trunnions 01 d formed on said plates, the trunnions forming a permanent pivotal connection between the plates and the ears. The plates d d are adapt- .ed to be detachably secured to the tread-bars a a by means of screws 61 passing through slots in the tread-bars and entering orifices d in the plates 61 cl. The trunnion d is elongated to enable the attachment to be applied to pedals of difierent widths, the elongation of the trunnion 61 being such as to compensate for variations in the width of different pedals. The head of the trunnion (Z is arranged to hold the ear through which it passes against the plate (I, so that there is no loose endwise movement of the guide 0.

e represents a toe-clip the base portion of which is-fitted to slide upon the guide 0 and is suitably engaged therewith, the means of engagement here shown being a dovetail rib e on the toe-clip and a dovetail slot e in the guide 0. The toe-clip is adapted to be projected to the operative position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. and retracted to the inoperative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pivotal connection of the guides c to the pedal enables the guide and the toe-clip to be tipped when the toe-clip is retracted, the toe-clip being thus turned down upon the pedal, as

The parts are normally held in the position last described by means of a spring .9, arranged to act upon and tip the track 0 from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 5, and a spring 8, arranged to retract the toe-clip and normally hold it in its retracted position. The

spring 8 is here shown as attached at one end to the head of the elongated trunnion d and at its other end to one of the ears 0, while the spring 5 is shown as attached at one end to a pin 3 affixed to the toe-clip, and at the other end to an eye 3 affixed to the guide 0.

The guide 0 is provided with a lug or projection 0 which is arranged to project above the pedal when the guide is tipped upwardly, said lug serving as a means for enabling the foot of the rider to conveniently restore the guide to the operative position shown in Fig. 6.

The operation is as follows: The guide 0 and toe-clip 0 being normally in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rider in placing his foot upon the pedal presses upon the projection c on the guide, and thus turns the guide down until it is substantially flush with the upper edges of the tread-bars a a, and then moving his foot forward into the toeclip presses the latter forward to the operative position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the parts remaining in their operative position so long as the riders foot remains in the toe-clip. \Vhen the foot is withdrawn, the spring 5 retracts the toe-clip and the spring 8 tips the guide and toe-clip, thus turning the toe-clip down upon the pedal, so that thereafter the revolution of the pedal will not cause the toeclip to strike the ground or a projection thereon.

It will be seen that the guide a, the plates (1 d, and the clip (2 constitute a pedal attachment adapted to be easily applied to and removed from an ordinary bicycle pedal. The plates (1 d are provided with ears t, formed to bear upon the upper edges of the tread-bars a a to prevent the plates cl (1 from turning on the tread-bars, said ears enabling each plate to be attached bya single screw (P.

The toe-clip is preferably provided with a projection or latch it, having a vertical edge a and an inclined edge 10 (See Fig. 7.) This latch is arranged so that when the toe-clip is being moved forward by the riders foot the inclined edge a will first strike and ride over the front tread-bar a, the toe-clip and its guide tipping sufficiently to allow this. After the latch has passed over the front tread-bar the pressure of the riders foot forces the latch down so that its vertical edge it engages the front side of said tread-bar, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and prevents backward movement of the toeclip by the spring 5 so long as the clip is held down by the riders foot. \Vhen the clip is released, the springs tips it sufficiently to disengage the latch from the tread-bar, thus permitting the spring 3' to retract the clip.

It will be seen that when the clip is turned down it will not strike the ground when the pedal to which it is applied is released from the riders foot, as when the machine is being driven by one pedal, nor when the machine is being pushed by a person walking; also, that the improvement enables the rider to more easily engage his foot with the toe-clip than heretofore.

I am aware that it is not new to pivotally connect to a bicycle-pedal a toe-clip of the type which curves up and rearward over the toe so that the clip can oscillate independently; but heretofore, so far as I am aware, clips of said type have been arranged to oscillate on a center or axis which is parallel with the axis of the pedal, so that when the clip swings away from its operative position the distance between its outer-portion and the axis of the pedal increases, often to such an extent that in coasting the toe-clip has such a radius that it strikes small projections, such as are ordinarily found on highways. It will be observed that the pivotal connections between my toe-clip and the pedal are arranged to permit the clip to oscillate on a center or axis which is substantially at right angles with the axis of the pedal, so that the toe-clip in assuming its inoperative position swings sidewise from a point over the longitudinal center of the pedal toward one end of the latter, and in thus swinging does not move away from said axis. The radius of the toe-clip therefore is not increased when the clip is in its inoperative position.

The quick removal of the toe-clip by its tipping-spring from a point over the riders toe when the supporting pressure is removed is especially important, in that it prevents liability of injury to the rider by reason of his inability to quickly disengage his foot from the toe-clip in an emergency, this liability existing to a greater or less extent in all toe clips heretofore used, so far as I am aware. This advantage is not dependent on the sliding movement of the toe-clip, and my invention is not therefore limited to a structure having provisions for such sliding movement.

I claim- 1. The combination of a bicycle-pedal, a toe-clip, adapted to hook over the front of the toe of the user to limit the forward movement of the foot, pivotal connections between the pedal and toe-clip arranged to permit the toe-clip to oscillate on an axis substantially at right angles with the axis of the pedal, whereby the toe-clip is enabled to swing sidewise toward one end of the pedal in assuming its inoperative position, and from said end toward the longitudinal center of the pedal in assuming its operative position, a spring adapted to normally hold the toe-clip in its inoperative position, and a projection movable with the toe-clip and arranged to receive pressure from the riders foot to restore the clip to its operative position.

A bicycle-pedal attachment comprising a guide formed to extend across the axis of the pedal and adapted to be pivoted to the tread-bars of the pedal, and a toe-clip sup ported by said guide and fitted to slide thereon, whereby said clip may be extended from the pedal for use, or retracted to a position over the pedal, the pivotal connection of the guide to the pedal enabling the clip to be turned down against the pedal when retracted.

3. A bicycle-pedal attachment comprising a guide formed to extend across the axis of the pedal and adapted to be pivoted. to the tread-bars of the pedal, a toe-clip supported by said guide and fitted to slide thereon, and a spring engaged With the clip and guide and adapted to normally retract the clip.

4. A bicycle-pedal attachment comprising a guide formed to extend across the axis of the pedal and having ears at its ends, plates pivoted to said ears and adapted for attachment to the tread-bars of the pedal, a tipping spring engaged with one of said plates and with the guide and adapted to normally hold the latter out of its operative position, a toeclip supported by the guide and fitted to slide thereon, and a spring engaged with the clip and guide and adapted to normally retract the clip, the guide-tipping spring normally turning the clip down upon the pedal.

5. A bicycle-pedal attachment comprising a guide formed to extend across the axis of the pedal and having ears at its ends, plates adapted to be attached to the tread-bars of the pedal and having trunnions engaged with the ears of the guide, one of said trunnions being elongated to adapt the attachment to pedals of different Width, and a toe-clip supported by the guide and fitted to slide thereon.

6. The combination with a bicycle-pedal, of a guide pivotally connected with the treadbars of the pedal, a tipping-spring adapted to normally tip the guide from its operative position, a toe-clip fitted to slide on the guide, and a spring adapted to normally hold the clip in a retracted position.

7. The combination With a bicycle-pedal, of a guide pivotally connected with the treadbars of the pedal, a tipping-spring adapted to normally tip the guide from its operative position, a toe-clip fitted to slide on the guide, a spring adapted to normally hold the clip in a retracted position, and a latch on the toeclip adapted to engage one of the tread-bars when the clip is in its operative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 2d day of September, A. D. 1897.

VILFORD A. HILL.

lVitnesses:

ANNIE B. HILL, ANDREW J. LATI-IROP. 

